Matt Omasta

Matt Omasta leads the B.F.A. programs in Theatre Education & Applied Theater and teaches courses in drama pedagogy, theatre for young audiences, applied theatre, and theory history, literature, theory, and criticism. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, and has held leadership roles with the American Educational Research Association and American Society for Theatre Research.

Dr. Omasta's recent and forthcoming publications include the books Play & Performance (Routledge) and Playwriting for Youth (Intellect Press), along with scholarly articles in Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre & Performance, Theatre Journal, Youth Theatre Journal, Theatre for Young Audiences Today, and the International Journal of Education & the Arts.

Recently Dr. Omasta has been honored with the Founders Award from the Educational Research Association, the Lin Wright Special Recognition Award and the Research Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, as well as USU's Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. He regularly presents his research at national and international venues including the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, the International Drama Educators Association, the American Society for Theatre Research, the American Educational Research Association, the International Theatre for Young Audiences Research Network, and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. As a creative artist, he has recently directed productions at USU as well as Imagination Stage (Bethesda, MD) and Unicorn Theatre (Logan, UT).

Before coming to USU, Dr. Omasta earned a Ph.D. in Theatre for Youth / Educational Drama from Arizona State University, a M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College, and a B.A. in Drama from Ithaca College. He has taught at Emerson, ASU, Providence College, and the University of Rhode Island, and worked with a variety of organizations including Imagination Stage, Trinity Repertory Company, Florida Studio Theatre, and Walt Disney Entertainment.